Wednesday, August 15, 2007

It is very easy for spin to mutate into full self-deception. Just ask any politician. Spin will only work in the long run if it is used sparingly and doesn't involve transparent falsehood. Otherwise it destroys credibility and undermines the ability to achieve long-term objectives.

Somebody should tell this to the National Association of Realtors. The other day I documented how their "house prices haven't fallen since the Great Depression" meme, which is fundamentally false, is coming back to bite them in the ass. But it seems they just can't help themselves. See for yourself at Freakonomics' real estate quorum.